


Shape of you

by Dodge1989



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: AU 3x15, Canon Rewrite, Dancing, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Resolved Sexual Tension, Shameless Smut, Song: Shape of You (Ed Sheeran)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:48:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27177437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dodge1989/pseuds/Dodge1989
Summary: Ed Sheeran messed around with my head... So I messed around with our favorite couple in return. Enjoy!10/28/20 Guys, I love Lea! ❤️ She reveals to us the time interval between events for the second time. Bless her soul 🙏 Three weeks have passed since the earthquake. If David Shore goes to repeat the script of another story of mine, I will consider it as copyright infringement 👊👊👊 And now Audrey's words, at least to me, seem strange. Are you ready to move on? It's been three weeks! She hasn't yet fully accepted his death 😐
Relationships: Claire Browne & Neil Melendez, Claire Browne/Neil Melendez
Comments: 29
Kudos: 45





	1. Blinding lights

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Dear Melendaires! I apologize for my absence. I’ve had little on my mind except work and home renovation. That's real hell, truth be told. This story was supposed to be a maximum of six pages, but I got carried away so I had to divide the material I wrote into three chapters. I wrote most of it back in May, but one scene didn’t go on. But today a miracle happened and I was able to finish it. English is still foreign to me, especially after I filled out a stack of medical records the size of Mount Everest. So you have been warned. 
> 
> **OST** Shape of you by Ed Sheeran

That evening, Neil sat alone at the bar, slowly nursing his beer and reflecting on the events of recent days. He was gloomy and annoyed, but most of all he was tired of pretending that everything was fine. Because it wasn't. Pressing his fingers to his temple, he tried to calm his mind - after a favoritism complaint and an unpleasant conversation with Audrey, it seemed that everything had gone to hell.

Not that he actually showed any bias for Claire, it was ridiculous. Ridiculous was the whole situation in which he and Claire ended up. He could feel the anger running through his veins. It was boiling hot, which frustrated him even more, his temper felt like it was ready to explode at any moment. He had no issues. He was a professional who separates his personal life from his work, thank you Audrey, he learned from his own mistakes. Especially now it was a matter of simple friendship between colleagues, and not about a love affair between the superior and his subordinate. This time he doubts neither himself nor his judgment, because he knew that he was right in this case. Claire worked hard and deserved all her merits. Yes, he listened to her, but only because she offered good ideas that suited their patients. He doesn't favor her among the rest. Either way, he apologized to his residents, trying to get them to talk to him in order to avoid further misunderstanding, but Lim very quickly found out about this fact and things got worse for him. 

Gritting his teeth, he tried to limit their communication with Claire outside the hospital that evening. She was in a difficult healing process right now and relied on him - he knew this because he was there for her, despite his own heart wounds that needed to be mended, making hers his priority. He soon noticed how he felt better himself in her company, hoping that it was as therapeutic for her as it was for him.

Their close friendship was probably the brightest side of his life at the moment and he so easily abandoned her. He made this choice for both of them and regretted as soon as he looked back at her. Disbelief was displayed on her face, Claire was a good judge of character, but at that moment she doubted the correctness of her judgments on his account. 

After that, he began to devote all his attention to his other residents. Collaborating with Park, over and over again he accepting his treatment suggestions as ignoring hers, which made him suffer within himself. It got to the point that he stopped meeting Claire's eyes because he knew that he would see only disapproval there. 

He tried to persuade himself that it would be better, but his behavior in the hospital in an attempt to play safe, again hurt them both. So he fell into the trap that he set himself as his new found diplomacy led to his tensions with Claire and her spat with Park today. 

He felt miserable. No matter how much he convinces himself that all these mess happened only as a result of speculation about non-existent romantic relationships between him and Claire, it still didn't become true... or at least not the whole truth. Neil shook his head to kill the thoughts about that currently occupied his brain, the more slowly he thought about the situation the more upset he would become. _Non-existent... Who am I kidding?_ He let out a weary sigh before took a few big gulps from his glass.

Neil was true to his habits. Claire was convinced of this again when she saw his black Tesla parked at the entrance to his favorite local bar. Letting go of her Uber, she went inside. She immediately spotted him sitting at the bar. Kayla has always said that her obstinacy will convince anyone. It's time for her to test this theory in practice with the most stubborn person she knows besides herself. She gathered all her courage before walking over and sat down on the vacant seat next to him. 

Snapping out of his thoughts, Neil wearily looked up from a tall glass in his hands when someone came up and sat in a place beside him. Today, he didn't look for any company and certainly didn't want conversations with strangers. But when his gaze met Claire's, he right away turned to her. He was a little surprised by her presence, giving her an awkward smile instead of a greeting - he let her go first with what she wanted to tell him, as he already guessed that her appearance wasn't entirely a coincidence.

"This is not you and it's nor right. We can be friends and have it not be weird," Claire said confidently, as her courage didn't fade when she faced him.

"It's already weird. I'm not going to stay," he responded, shaking his head helplessly from side to side. He cast a quick glance at the bartender - not so much to get his attention as to try for a second to escape Claire's penetrating and awaiting gaze to collect himself.

"You don't have to run away because I'm here," Claire observed with a frown. She was so frustrated because she managed to get only this response from him. It didn't sounds like him at all. This was not the same Neil Melendez, who so quickly became her closest friend and whom she relied on.

"I'm not running. I'm being professional," Neil explained with a stone expression and hunted gaze that irritated her more than his empty excuses.

"You're not being professional. You're overcompensating and it's hurting things. It got Park and I in an argument. That's not how I want to be mentored. That's not who you are, at least it's not who I thought you were," Claire remarked, barely suppressing the pleading notes in her voice as Neil laid twenty for his beer on the polished surface of the bar.

"Enjoy your dinner," Neil replied before he got up and grabbed his coat from the back of the barstool.

Claire rolled her eyes and slowly shook her head in disappointment, but he missed it, because he was already making his way to the door, looking as miserable as she felt.

Neil flew out of the bar, pulling on his coat on the go. It should have been simple - get up and walk away - but it wasn't. Saying goodbye to their friendship wasn't fun at all, as if someone had planted and turned a knife in his gut. He quickly went around his car and climbed inside. He was about to start it when the thought occurred to him that this was the last thing he wanted to do. He didn't want to return to his empty house and to his ordinary life - every day like the one before, filled only with non-stop work and the problems of others... Back to life where there was no room for Claire.

He was surprised how quickly and easily Claire filled the void of his being as they found their rhythm outside the hospital, just as naturally as they had in the OR years ago. Now he is looking forward to her company in the evenings, almost more than the days that they spent in surgery working together. Because when the shift ended and the doors closed behind them, they remained just Claire and Neil as they could talk about everything, do what they liked and just be themselves without pretending. He found himself caring for her, not just because of her dismals, but overall. This was no longer the relationship between the mentor and his star resident, not anymore. She becomes his best friend... He didn't want to lose her. 

Neil leaned back in his seat, as his hand remained on the steering wheel. Claire was right about all of this. It wasn’t him. With all this fuss about inappropriate relationships, he forgot what really matters, forgot himself, and even worse, he hurt her along the way. 

In frustration and annoyance he hit the steering wheel. He was not going to prove anything to anyone else, simply because Audrey and the secret complainant expected this from him. And damn him, if he allows himself to destroy something meaningful in order to please others. He will act in Claire's interests, even if she decides to stop their communication outside work after his cowardice, but he still hopes to start where he left or at least try to restore their friendship. He headed back inside, hoping that he wasn't monumentally screwed.

Neil returned at the moment when the bartender put a crazy looking cocktail in front of Claire. She smiled tightly in gratitude and took the first sip of a bright blue cocktail. Smirking at her choice of drink, Neil approached her and laid down his coat.

“Two menus please," he gestured to the bartender, as taking his place. Claire looked knowingly at him and returned his smile. He really missed her ready smile.

Neil handed her one of the menus and moved closer to her. Their shoulders touched as they looked through menus. He probably could ask for one as close they sat to each other. "What would you like?"

"I crave something Thai...um, spicy Thai chicken it is" she replied, putting down the menu and looked back at him. "And what about you?"

"I think steak sounds good," Neil said setting aside the menu, then a smile slipped from his face and he became serious. "You were right."

She rested her cheek on her hand, her moss-green eyes are soft and beckoning. “My three favorite words,” a small smile pulls at her lips and understanding was reflected in her eyes, as she already knew what he meant by these words without further explanation, and then it was her turn to make peace. "Sorry, I was too harsh with you today."

“No, Claire," he objected, shaking his head. “It's me who should be sorry. I shouldn’t distance myself and I made it harder at work for you when you did nothing at all to deserve it," Neil tries to return her smile but it comes out as more of a grimace. "I was a jerk, not a professional, as I though."

Claire smiling brilliantly, tried to smooth his mood. "Don't ditch me like that in the future and we'll be good," she pointed out, flicking her hand between them, symbolizing their strong connection or what was between them. "I don't give up on you so easily."

"I appreciate it." Neil smiled charmingly at her, the very smile from which Claire's knees would instantly bend if she hadn't been sitting at that very moment. If only he knew what effect it has on her... or rather what effect _he_ has on her. She held his intense gaze, which spoke more than words, until he cleared his throat on purpose to destroy their intimate moment and keep the remains of his sanity. "I don’t know how about you, but after such a rough day as today, I need a strong drink." He signaled to the bartender that they were ready to order. "Stagg JR neat," he told the bartender who approached them at that moment. 

Claire chuckled when she heard the brand name of the bourbon whiskey. She pursed her lips so as not to laugh while he was talking to the bartender. When the guy took their menus, she couldn't hold back anymore and burst out laughing cheerfully. Neil frowned slightly, but the happy wrinkles in the corners of his eyes soon betrayed him and he playfully winked at her.

After the bartender took they order and served his bourbon, Neil asked him if they could get the booth for the evening. He wanted to catch up with Claire and do it in a more secluded setting. The guy answered with a smile, that this wouldn't be a problem, but they would have to wait a bit at the bar, while wondered why one of his customers laughed so hard and the other pretends to be offended by that, barely holding back his own smile, as if he missed some good inside joke. 

As they were left alone, enjoying their drinks, then mischievous lights danced in Claire's eyes. "Very significant choice," she noted when her index finger slowly ran along the rim of a half-full glass resting in front of her until it reached a raspberry on the edge, smiling at him sweetly. "Does it goes with antlers instead of cocktail cherries?" 

"Only if you take the whole bottle," Neil grinned slyly, then glanced over her glass. "I won’t even ask what _you_ drink," Neil grimaced but humor shone in his voice. "Looks like a smurf that went through a juicer," he amused as relaxedly laid his right hand on the back of her barstool.

Claire stopping herself from rolling her eyes when she felt the warmth of his hand through the thin fabric of her blouse as her pulse rose, and she laughed nervously.

"Nah, I just asked the bartender to bring something tasty that would go nice with a print on my blouse," she said wryly and takes a moment to sip her Hpnotiq margarita, "It's pretty good. Want to try?"

"I prefer something less catchy and sweet, but thank you." Neil smirked at her, his tone was light for the first time in days. Falling into cozy silence, he returned his glass to it's spot on the surface, trying to match the bottom of the glass with the ring of water lying on the wood, knowing that she was the very reason for that change. "Can I get you another?” he asked, gesturing to her now empty glass.

Cute dimples appeared on either side of her face as she beamed.“That would be lovely, thanks.”

Gazing at her with warmth and almost undisguised adoration as a soft smile played at the corners of his mouth, he ordered another cocktail for her and second bourbon for himself before they moved to the booth ready for them. They enjoyed chatting over dinner, as if the events of the last days hadn't affect them. Neil realized how really he missed their easy conversation and her silly jokes. Claire could talk about everything and nothing, and he never got tired of the sound of her soulful voice or the sincere emotions expressed on her face. 

Listening carefully to her passionate story about her discussion with Andrews about performing exploratory laparotomy instead of a laparoscopic appendectomy for a teenage boy with blurry abdominal US-scan and unclear etiology who was brought to the ER straight from school with pain in the lower right side. He was proud that she had foreseen a possible complication during the operation if the appendix had already burst or other suddenness that might lie in wait for them during laparoscopy and insisted on a more correct surgical intervention in this case in the interests of the patient. The corner of his mouth lifted up in a hint of smile, he wished to be there when she turned her full bossy mood on Marcus and persuaded him how to do better, despite his well-known preference for small aesthetic cuts. Claire was good at persuasion, and he knew it for sure, always giving in to her and supporting her opinion - absolutely and without compromise, favouring her. _Maybe I really had issues,_ Neil grudgingly admitted to himself, still catching her every word, _because obviously Claire was his undisputed favorite and not only at work_. 

After the second round of drinks, they discussed a plan to distract colleagues from their friendship. He offered to play a little performance - to argue a bit while they were discussing the next patient’s case, so that others could see it, especially Morgan, because Neil believed that she wrote this complaint, not Park, and certainly not Shaun. Claire enthusiastically accepted his idea but admitted that she was a bad actress. To this, Neil assured her that he didn't waste his time while he was in a drama class in high school, she only had to play along with him, and he would take care of the rest. Claire laughed hard, imagining him in those days; she didn't understand how at the same time Neil could be such a nerd, a track runner - who, among other things, was in a drama class and somehow became a prom king at the end. She didn't fail to mention this to him. There was light and laughter in her eyes, and he couldn’t help but to smile at her teasing, quipping in return that he got all his votes only because he acted cunningly from within all parties.

Time flew by, music from the speakers became louder as air got heavier. The bar was pretty packed with people who want to drink and relax after a long day at work. Some of them sat in noisy companies, while others started dancing on a small dance floor. Neil comfortably sat across from her in a small booth at the back of the bar. He got rid of his suit jacket a long time ago. The three top buttons on his light blue and white striped dress shirt were unfastened and his sleeves were rolled up, demonstrating his firm arms. A light, teasing smile danced on his lips as he watched Claire. He was a little tipsy from his third bourbon in a stuffy room or just from her presence. He had already decided to take an Uber and leave his car at the bar to get it first thing in the morning. But he wasn't ready to call it a night.

They needed to relax after this hard week filled with angst. So they did.

"You can't go wrong with bourbon - it's a classic," Neil stated, after all her cheesy comments on his account, he didn't give up the idea to present Claire a real drink, before she orders another funny-looking cocktail of hers. "Give it a try." 

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," she said mockingly as Neil brought a drink to his mouth, the expression on his face is faintly amused now, an eyebrow raised in silent suggestion. Claire wrinkled her nose. "But I don’t know how you can drink neat bourbon and enjoy that."

He huffed with laughter. "This is a matter of habit and good taste."

"As I thought," she said pleasantly, and Neil looked at her suspiciously, but at the same time with quite interest, telling her with his eyes 'go on, I'm listening'. "I'm not tipsy enough to believe you."

"As if your typical cocktails have enough alcohol in them," he remarked, leaning forward from his seat with a sneaky grin on his face and familiar glint in his eyes. "Well, that checks out then - you're lightweight and simply can't handle the real deal." There was humor in his tone and she knew something was coming. "What is it? Do you start singing out loud or get too handsy? Not that I would really mind the latter." 

Claire rolled her eyes playfully. She liked this side of him, when he was playful and daring. "On occasion, I do the first," she replied with a sparkle in her own eyes, following his cocky line as she added, "and once or twice was spotted doing the second." Claire's eyes were on him, her lips fighting back a smirk and his own eyes narrowed slightly as she was about to turn the tables on him."Fine. I wouldn't stand between you and your very sophisticated choice of drink, no more mocking from me since I'm going to..." Glancing meaningfully at him from under her thick eyelashes, she made sure he took the bait - the longer her pause went on, the more Neil's smug smile grew - before she decided it was time to play her card,"-stick to another _typical_ non-strong sweet fruitty drink." Claire practically singsonged the last part, giggling as his smile quickly fell from her ruse before she placed her order with a victorious smile on her own face.

Leaning back sharply in his seat, Neil crossed his arms over his chest. "Your loss."

"Sounds more like yours," Claire parried mirthfully as her order appeared in front of her and he raised his glass again in a mocking salute. She grinned wickedly and leaned over to tap on the edge of his glass in a way that he find oddly seductive, "You always need to be on top of your game, but this is a hopeless case, so stop coaxing me to become your bourbon buddy and I won't hold it against you," then she slowly brought her own glass to her mouth, still looking at him, she took a little sip of her new cocktail - this time the drink was pale yellow color - and closed her eyes, licking her lips. "Mmm... Lemony."

"Satisfied?" He chuckled mildly and shakes his head a little clear out the tension suddenly building in his chest, and lifts his own glass for a few deep gulps.

"Yep," Claire informed, the p daringly popped out of her mouth, then she added casually. "At least it can't sweep me off my feet."

Neil nearly choked on his bourbon as his gaze shot back to her. "Damn, Claire, you want my death," he muttered at his glass, trying to restrain his dumb grin.

"What?" Claire asked too innocently, batting her eyelashes at him, definitely there was enough alcohol in her fancy cocktails. "I'm just stating a fact."

The amber liquid burning down his throat while his deep eyes are focused on her, Neil swallowed hard. "You something else."

And that was true. She tempted him like _no one else_ , and he could no longer ignore it. Obsessed with the thought of her, Neil sat there with a look of melancholy mixed with a look of longing on his face. He had strict principles that he follows both at work and in his personal life. But there are times when he wonders if it’s all worth it, continue to believe in your own morality, when she’s sitting opposite him looking like that. Like she was his constant that's ready to change his life for the better if he only allows. 

A mysterious little smile plays on her perfectly carved lips while she looks back at him, as he clenching his fingers tightly around the glass, completely absorbed with her beauty. He had always thought her beautiful. Now she was downright irresistible - with her dark caramel-colored curls are raised up, revealing her long graceful neck and stunning green eyes that seem to see right through to the soul - the manifold of their shades never ceased to amaze him, like her spectacular smile that lights up even the darkest rooms... even his darkest days. He knows that the world isn't lacking in beautiful women but Claire is beautiful from the inside out, that’s what makes her stand out.

This woman is an angel of truth and beauty, amazing with her natural compassion and quick wit; he knows she’s suffered more than most - her wasted chilhood and her unhealthy grief for her mother were a little part of it - but even in her disastrous moments she still offers comfort to others. He used to think that arrogance makes him a better surgeon, until... until he took the chance to truly know her - she changed him when her secrets became his truth. She makes him a better surgeon, but most importantly, she makes him want to be a better person in general. She was his real inspiration and harder temptation. He was nuts about her and she had no idea about it. He had mixed feelings, as her attending he had no right to even think about more going between them than now, but as a man of flesh and blood, he would go after her without hesitation. 

"Oh, I love this song!" she exclaimed with dreamy expression on her face as she heard the first beats of a famous track by a popular British singer in a strange coincidence they had danced to before at their own little prom.

"Dance with me." Neil blurted out, finally coming out of his trance at the sound of her joyful voice. That was not a request, that was a statement - and he seemed to be treading on dangerous ground... _But it was just a dance and not even their first,_ Neil tried to convince himself as a bright smile lit up Claire's face, making his heart skip a beat. 

"Oh no, Neil, you know I'm not very much of dancer," Claire tried to laugh it off, but still she tamingly got up with him while her heart fluttered in her chest from the firm tone of his voice. "I'll probably step on your feet... again." 

"I insist." Neil stepped towards her. "Don't worry about my feet, they've seen worse." Holding out his hand, smugly smiling at her as he added, "So you know that the key to good dance is a strong lead, and I am the best." 

"Someone’s so sure of themselves," she laughed, taking his hand, her skin immediately tingling from contact. Maybe alcohol gave her courage or his warm touch, as looking into his eyes, she boldly said: "Prove it."

"That, Claire, is a challenge I could not deny." On this Neil chuckled and pulled her towards himself as he went backwards to the dancing crowd.

Something flashed in his eyes, but Claire didn’t have time to read it as Neil tightly squeezed her hand and suddenly sent her in a multiple fast spins right onto the dance floor. She almost lost her balance from the surprise of his abruptly movement when Neil stopped spinning her. Claire's eyes comically widened in fright as she grabbed his forearm to stay on her feet, forgetting for a second how to breathe. Neil instantly seized her waist with his arm, pulling her almost flush to his body, preventing Claire from falling. After feeling Neil's gentle squeezing her waist, she breathed out in relief and freed his biceps from her iron grip, then her palm slid up and relaxedly lay on his left shoulder.

"Let's try not to sweep you off your feet as we dance," Neil teased, leaning back a little without loosening his firm grip on her waist.

Blood rushed to Claire's face from her own remark, which came back to her like a boomerang, and Neil grinned knowingly, almost as if he could hear her heart racing and the blood thrumming through her veins far too quickly.

Claire slapped his shoulder lightly. "If I were you, I would be silent. Because _now_ your feet are in danger, not mine."

**_Girl, you know I want your love  
Your love was handmade for somebody like me  
Come on now, follow my lead_**

"I will keep it in mind. But _now_..." Neil drawled, taking her right hand in his, "try to match up with me," and on the next beat, break forward his left foot, and she instinctively took a step back following his lead. 

Claire made a face hesitantly taking a first step towards him. "Don't go Patrick Swayze on me."

"No promises." Neil gave her a lopsided smile, his eyes gleaming in amusement as he spun her around.

**_Grab on my waist and put that body on me  
Come on now, follow my lead  
Come, come on now, follow my lead_ **

Claire easily adapted to the fast pace of the song and his sharp movements. She shifting her weight from one foot to another, causing her hips to move temptingly in harmony with the music while she following Neil's masterfully footwork.

Neil was a smooth dancer, his hips moved fluidly and his steps are as firm and sure as his hands were in the operating room. Claire was taken aback by the way he completely loosened himself in the dance, his shoulders relaxed like his face - even a small deep wrinkle that always lay between his eyebrows was smoothed out, making him look younger - and his smoldering gaze was focused on her.

Claire looked her eyes with his and immediately lost herself in his deep brown eyes, even after spins, her eyes everytime found them.They always knew how to communicate without words, so she easily read his further intentions in his captivating gaze.

Taking a sidestep, Neil grinned slyly, and Claire's eyes sparkled in return as she already knew what was coming next. Even before he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to another spin, she was more than ready for a little dizziness.

**_I'm in love with the shape of you  
We push and pull like a magnet do  
Although my heart is falling too_ **

Neil was leading Claire confidently, holding her tightly as they spun around on the dance floor. She readily responds to signals coming from him when his hand gently pressed or pushed her hand, directing her body through the fervent rhythm. 

Claire perfectly framing herself, trying not to pay attention to how warm his hands were on her and how good she felt while being in them. After another turn, she stepped further into Neil's embrace, feeling his hands tighten in response, drawing her even closer while there was no air left between them.

Oh, this dance was completely different story, more frank and bold than their first dance together, when he kept a decent distance and his hands remained in place all the time.

Now his hands rested on Claire's shoulder blades, pressing her closer to his chest as he turned them in a circle and then turned them back counterclockwise. Claire giggled carefreely as Neil held his hand behind her neck, dipping her slowly to the beat of the music. 

Claire's giggle died out suddenly as Neil's hand that lifted her back so easily fell down on her hip and pulled her closer to his side.

**_Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I  
I'm in love with your body  
Oh—I—oh—I—oh—I—oh—I  
I'm in love with your body_ **

Neil's eyes lit up and his breath became short as their bodies moved in time together to the rhythm of the song. His head is buzzing not from bourbon or lack of oxygen in the lungs, but because her fit body was so close to him. There was something about the way she moves, which pulled the trigger of his composure and pushed him to action. 

Neil took both her hands and raised them up high in the air, so quickly spinning her around behind his back, that in the blink of an eye she again faced him as he looped her hands over his head, letting them to slide freely over his chest and rest at the level of his heart.

As her fingers burned through the thin fabric of his shirt, she felt his muscles tighten under her touch and his heart pounding faster. For some reason, it caught her off guard. Like his next move, when he spun her under his arm, with one hand hold changing their places.

Maybe he was caught off guard by this too.

**_Come on, be my baby, come on  
Come on, be my baby, come on  
Come on, be my baby, come on  
Come on, be my baby, come on_ **

Claire shimmies her shoulders rhythmically and passionately as she takes another step back. She rolled her eyes when Neil raised a dark eyebrow at her spicy movement. "I'm not completely hopeless."

As Neil felt one corner of his lips quirk upward at her boldness - Claire blushed, and it was the cutest thing he had seen in a long time. He pulled her hand and brought her close to him again. "I didn't doubt you," he murmured, bending down to her, his lips millimeters away from her ear.. "Quite the opposite."

And then, without warning, Neil dipped her so quickly that she only managed to yelp in surprise. "Neil!" 

He winked a smarmy wink down at her before pulling Claire back in one sharp, quick motion - a little too hard, since their faces turned out to be only inches apart, and Claire's mouth dangerously close to his. 

Neil couldn't help it when his attention drifted down to her lips and his eyes lingered on them for a moment, before he gently pushed Claire a few paces back. He swallowed a lump in his throat. Maybe this dance was a bad idea after all. 

The thought had crossed his mind as Claire gently swaying her hips in front of him, while her cloudy-sensual gaze practically nailed him to the floor. She smiled timidly at him, not suspecting that she was mercilessly testing his patience at that very moment. 

Neil's gaze fiery as his eyes slowly traveled down her body covered in light floral blouse and tight pants that compliment her shape perfectly. He watched almost spellbound as her music-filled body moved seductively on her own according in front of him as she mouthed lyrics to the song. 

**_Say, boy, let's not talk too much  
Grab on my waist and put that body on me  
Come on now, follow my lead  
Come, come on now, follow my lead_ **

Without thinking, his muscled arm snaked around her middle, sharply pulling Claire to him until their bodies collided. They chests pressed tougher and she kept moving to the beat of the song while his hands held her waist. These stunning green eyes are half-closed, thick eyelashes create a shadow on her reddened cheeks, her alluring lips... 

Neil hastily raised his eyes from them and instead tried to focus his gaze on her crown as if it might help him to restrain himself. A few stubborn curls had popped out of high ponytail on her head while they were dancing, and he struggled his desire to catch one of them between his fingers to find out if they were as soft as they seemed.

The truth is that alcohol doesn't turn people into somebody they're not. It just makes them forget to hide that part of themselves. Tonight, Neil just stopped hiding that innermost part of himself that was sealed deep inside him when he let his hand slowly trail up the length of her back as his fingers left tingling marks on her skin, feeling her shivering under his touch. 

**_I'm in love with the shape of you  
We push and pull like a magnet do  
Although my heart is falling too  
I'm in love with your body_ **

As he pressed against her tight deltoid muscle, Claire's lips slightly parted as a small electric shock ran through her body before she accidentally touched them to a small patch of his tan skin that wasn't covered by the collar of his shirt. Luckily for Neil, she seemed to miss his short groan over the loud music or her own start.

Claire gasped in surprise as her frightened eyes flew open, and her face immediately flushed from a brief contact with the hollow of his throat. She instantly darted her wide gaze from his chest to his face, but she only managed to catch how his Adam's apple bobbing up before Neil swung her around, and now her back was pressed tightly to his hard chest.

Feeling the rush of adrenaline, Neil holdes her closer, but not close enough, while his heavily exhales roused the mist of hair on her nape; and still he wouldn't admit to himself that only during this dance that he'd wondered more than once how _her_ skin tasted like.

**_Come on, be my baby, come on  
Come on, be my baby, come on  
I'm in love with your body_ **

Claire sways to the beat on her slightly shaky legs while his hot breath burns back of her neck and his hands cautiously went down her waist, setting her entire body on fire. Her heart rate was like a hummingbird by the time Neil landed his hands on her hips and began to move them perfectly in sync with him. 

Claire slowly breathed in, from his smell she was dizzy, but not from the spicy-woody aroma of his cologne, but from the natural musky smell of his heated skin. Something inside her warmed up, and she unconsciously let her head fell back and rest on his chest, melting in his embrace. 

Her right hand, like on her own accord, deftly slip up and settle on the back of his neck. She hummed softly, allowing her fingers carding through his hair, snuggling herself up to his hard body, embarrassingly close, and then her short nails accidentally grazed his hairline, he gently squeezed her hip in return. She didn’t mind, and he certainly didn’t seem to. So Claire gingerly shifted her hips and started to move with him, completely caught up in the song and him.

**_Come on, be my baby, come on  
Come on, be my baby, come on  
I'm in love with your body_ **

This was not what they were supposed to do when they hung out together. Talking, drinking and teasing each other while they were chilling out after work is one thing, and clinging to each other on the dance floor while their hands shamelessly roaming over their bodies can lead to more serious consequences for them. 

Neil sighed heavily. 

The combination of the atmosphere, the occasional grinding of her hips against his, the surge of strong alcohol in his blood, a tinge of his long-standing attraction for her were a reason for his recent discomfort, that shot through him and caused more than his eyes to harden, even as his temper flared from the state of affairs. He hadn't counted on the fact that situation can quickly get out of the hand. He didn't know what was going on in Claire's head as she continued to move so sophisticatedly against him, but he was quite aroused by now. Going lose his mind, he needs to put more than a sliver of space between himself and her before he oversteps the remaining boundaries of their friendship and partnership.

Neil paused for a second, closed his eyes, and blew out a breath as his right hand remained on her hip, squeezing her this time as a signal as his left one found and took hers, swiftly sending the gleefully giggling Claire spinning to the side. But this time, providence wasn't on his side, as at the same time a couple dancing nearby turned around and without noticing Claire bumped into her, sending her flying back. When Claire had already accepted the fact that this time her face couldn't avoid meeting the floor, Neil instinctively pulling her backwards and secured her petite body in his strong arms. 

**_Come on, be my baby, come on  
_** **_Come on, be my baby, come on  
I'm in love with your body_**

There was a spark in the air that surrounded them when her bottle-green eyes connected with his dark ones and held his intense gaze. They both felt this moment. Gravity is too great to resist when Neil slowly lowered his face to hers, and Claire tilted her head slightly to meet him halfway, her eyes now tightly shut. Warm breath teasingly ghosted over Claire's mouth, making her lips part a little in anticipation a second before he hungrily attached his lips with hers, kissing her senselessly.

Claire slipped her hands up his chest and wrapped them around his neck, running her fingers through Neil's short dark hair while she responded fervently to his kiss. Her puffy lips were soft and sweet, tasting like the lemon cocktail she had drunk before, and Neil certainly didn't mind such a sweetness while sucking on her delectable bottom lip and making her moan softly. He cradled her jaw with his firm hand, deepening the kiss, as his other hand slipped to her lower back and pulled her body closer as their tongues came into contact.

Even drowning in euphoria from his insistently touches and getting more and more drunk with the bitter taste of bourbon on her tongue that she didn't drink at all, Claire could not fully believe what was really happening, and her hands began to wander even more vigorously through his body in search of other hard evidence. 

Nibbling lightly on her juicy bottom lip, Neil groaned profoundly as Claire's nails gently scratched sensitive skin on the nape of his neck, letting his hand to slide down from her lower back to cup her butt, pressing her hips into him. It didn’t feel wrong; it felt good and right and he wanted more. He wanted Claire badly, and her actions were implying that she wanted him too. At the very least, she was open and willing to explore a potential change in their relationship.

**_I'm in love with the shape of you_ **

Their kiss was the perfect mix - bittersweet, like their long-finished drinks, and hot, like the rhythm they recently danced to - an endless story of the untamed movements of their lips and hands without hesitation in their actions. 

The song long ago changed to something more jazzy and slow when the lack of oxygen in the lungs and the noticeably growing crowd around them brought Neil and Claire back to reality, where they stood in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by blinding lights from the track lighting and hotly making out in public as their kiss came to an end.

They both breathed heavily, remaining locked in each other's arms. Neil let his forehead rest against Claire's as his breathing steadied. He swallowed and raised his head. "Claire."

Hearing his husky voice after a long silence, Claire slowly opened her foggy eyes, her head was light and fuzzy with the lingering sensation of Neil's lips upon hers, and she blinked once, twice, staring up into his eyes as she finally said: "Let's get out of here."

"Are you sure?" He peered into her eyes, looking for any doubts in them.

She nodded without a second thought."Yes."


	2. Moonlight

Closing out their tap with a generous tips, Neil led them back to their table to get their things, hastily typing something on his phone, while his other hand was lying possessively on Claire's back.

Outside the bar the air was cool and refreshing as full night settled over San Jose. Claire opposite was warm when she made her way to the an Uber booked by Neil, highly conscious of the weight of his hand around her waist and the feel of his hard body brushing against hers while they walked towards their car.

It was a bright night as the silver circle of the moon had already recresented on his place, lighting the way for late strangers passing by and creating for others a feeling of unreality of what was happening around. This illusion lasted on until they reached they ride. Neil's hand fell from her back and Claire suddenly felt chilly without his touch, missing his solid warm terribly. 

Neil gallantly opened the car door for her, letting her get in first. Holding his hands in his pockets, he looked into her eyes, studying her closely. The mellow and radiant moonbeam made a small amount of silver in his dark hair more visible and intensity in his gaze almost breathtaking. She knew what he was doing - giving her the opportunity to change her mind if she so wished. But she won't change her mind. Not tonight.

Slipping past him, Claire deliberately grazed his side and gave him a coyly smile that didn't match her shamelessly direct gaze before disappearing inside the car. Neil blew out a breath that he didn't know he was holding, and then promptly slid after her into the backseat, providently keeping a small space between them. In the car, the air around them immediately became strongly electrified and began to crackle a little, even the driver could feel the growing tension behind his back. Although, on the way to Neil's place, they held themselves together for at least the first part of their ride.

Through their nerves and anticipation and desire, there was a fear, anxiety, that if one of them speaks it’s going to somehow ruin the moment, that they were both going to conclude that they were making a mistake. It was something both Neil and Claire wanted to prevent so they quietly and silently rode through the night city streets surrounded by quiet music from the radio, constantly peeking at the other, searching for any signs of second thoughts and doubt or regret.

The longer their glances lingered, the more intense they became, and their bodies, filled with familiar longing, were unrestrainedly drawn to each other. This went on until Claire softly brushed his knee with hers, sending a pleasant shiver all over her body and completely undoing the remnants of his self-control with one simple touch.

Not for the first, and far from the last time tonight, Neil Melendez's reputation for being so reasonable and cool-headed person goes down in flames as he lashed out himself at her then, attaching his lips to hers and stroking his hands frantically down her sides, making Claire gasp into his mouth from the sudden but welcome contact. Kissing her with a hungry passion, he sneaked his hand into her open coat and wrapped it around her waist, shifting and pressing her body to him before she even got a chance to close the remaining space between them.

Claire found herself practically sitting on his lap as his lips travelled with aching intensity from mouth along her jaw to her ear. His breath tickled her ear, and she twitched as his knuckles grazed her ribs, sliding down to her lower back to raise the hem of her blouse and slip under a silky fabric, finally touching her flaming skin.

Moaning softly, she tilted her head to the side, her eyes fluttering as he lay tender kisses along her neck to her chin, his warm soft lips moved as slowly and teasingly as if he were testing her patience or her limits while she clung to his forearms for dear life. "You- uh - want to drive me mad?" 

Neil nodded against curve of her neck. "Perhaps."

She sighed as he draws circles on her skin with his slightly callused fingers from the hours he spent in surgery. “Neil...”

He could hear the breathy need behind the edge in her voice as he added, "Since you drove me mad all evening." He rests his now smiling lips on the pulse in her neck and mumbles into her skin, "I can not help myself, you have a stunning neck." On this, his lips continued moving enthusiastically, laying a trail of moist kisses on her neck, making her breathing short and heavy before they paused. "Should I stop?"

Claire was nearly panting now, pulling back just a little to look at him like he was really going out of his mind. "You better don't."

"I won't if you really want it," he reassured her. There’s a hint of a smile, but his eyes are serious. 

"I really do," she puffed briefly, her fingers began to play with the collar of his coat.

Neil cupped her face and his thumb started to gently traced the shell of her ear. "I'm not pressuring you?"

"You are not," Claire said breathlessly, slowly smoldering under his touch. 

"Good," he replied, caressing her face, and Claire purred pretty as his thumb strokes the fullness of her lower lip."Because i think that I pressed my point while we were still dancing."

Claire gives a little breathless laugh. "That's a dangerous statement, Dr Melendez."

Neil smirked slyly, his hand running up her thigh from her knee, clutching her hip and molding her back to him.

"I don't always play it safe," he said in a low and raspy voice, his hot breath now ghosting her lips.

"As I am," she replied, almost illegally, slowly drawing her lips to his, but deftly dodging them when they were only a millimeter from hers. 

Launching her hands under the lapels of his jacket, Claire settled in to nibble at his ear, breathing endearments into it as she went. She feels him tensing nicely under her touch as one of her hands found its way to his torso, sliding down his muscular stomach in a dangerous fashion to his groin, until he caught her hand with his, "Patience, _cielo_."

Interlocking their fingers together, he brought them to his lips, searingher her skin with hot breath. Fire burned in his deep brown eyes as he pressed a kiss against her knuckles. 

"Not here," he wispered, and at that very moment the car pulled up to his house. Neil quickly paid the driver, who the entire time carefully ignored the slightly carred away couple in the back seat of his taxi, and then helped her out.

***  
Once he got the door open and Claire stepped inside, she turned to see Neil gripping the doorknob tightly before pushing it. The door began to move slowly as he turned to face her.

Even in the almost complete darkness of the hallway - illuminated only by the dim moonlight that seeping through the panoramic windows of the living room - their eyes immediately found each other. Locking their gazes, they just stood there for a few short moments. They both had this persistent feeling that this moment was a long time coming, and without slightest doubt or any other thoughts, they set in motion even before the door slammed shut behind them.

Neil never moved so fast in his life as when he rushed to her, in two long strides he was at her side, one of his hands came up to hold the back of Claire's head, another grabbed her waist and showed her against the nearest wall, pinning her flush to it with his body - a small, desperate sound escaping from low in his throat when his mouth came crushing down hard on hers.

Claire gasped -a little breathy sounds that catch at the back of her throat when her back suddenly hit the wall with a faint thud, pressing the light switch - when her mouth parted open under Neil's pressure. Part of the upper lights turned on, but she didn’t notice it at all as his tongue cleverly swept into her mouth, claiming it and her with strong strokes that sent coils of pleasure burning through her.

Without breaking contact with her captive mouth, Neil swiftly pulled off her coat and let it drop to marble floor, and his hands shamelessly began to roam along her curves. He was impressed that they managed to hold out for so long, in which hurry they began to tug off each other's clothes as soon as they crossed the threshold of his place.

Freed from the shackles of her coat, Claire wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him in place, feeling the heat of his hands burning into her, instantly turning the embers in her depths into long tongues of flame that licked her skin from the inside out and releasing the intensity of what had been brewing all night between them. As a result, she quickly as melted into his wandering hands and insistent lips, kissing him back, hard and fierce, biting his bottom lip briefly as punishment for his cruel teasing earlier in the car.

Neil groaned throaty into her mouth, pressing her firmly against the wall with his thigh to her core. She leaned forward intuitively to meet a new powerful sensation, fisting her hands into thick cashmere on the back of his coat. Now it was her turn to moan as he was hard against her stomach and his lips moved over hers with a hunger she felt everywhere. 

"Neil, please." she managed to get out when for a moment he let go of her lips. Her body was on fire with desire for him as she began grinding lightly against his thigh, seeking out the friction she so desperately needed between her legs. 

"Mm-hm," he hums into her mouth, feeling his pants getting tight as she rolles her hips in small circles on him.

The fruity taste of her lips lingers on his, getting deeper into his system and driving him wild with longing for her touch. He sucked on her lower lip for a moment before turning his attention to her jaw, licking a trail to the soft spot below her ear and gently rocking his hips while she clutching at his shoulders. 

"Need-," she gasped before closing her mouth and eyes shut, moaning needily at the sensation as his thumb grazed the swell of her breast. 

"Hmm?” he hums again, lips and tongue still trailing over the line of her jaw.

Next her hands wind in his hair, tugging as he sucks at the sensitive flesh behind her ear, and it feels better than anything she can remember. She parts her puffy lips and the moans grow louder, her brow furrowed with sheer delight, and head rolled back to tap against the wall, thereby giving him better access to her neck, than he gladly took advantage of.

Neil nibbled her elegant neck, taking the great pleasure in feeling her rapid pulse under his mouth. He likes that every time he does it, she makes the same little catching sigh that cause his abdominal muscles tense in foretaste of something grandiose. It sends a pang of want to his core, spreading through him as if it were in his blood. He wonders how she does this, how she manages to affect him like this, but most importantly, he wondered what his next luring offensive should be to affect her in the same way.

"What do you want, Claire? Tell me what you want," he mumbles, lips whispering seductively against her pulse before daring to venture down her long mocha neck to the base of her throat.

Instead of answering, she hooked her thigh around his hip, pressing his firm body into her in a way that wrenched a low rumbler from him. Rocking his hips more intensely with purpose, he was rewarded with Claire's mewling whine and the desperate grind against him that made the breath catch in both of their throats. 

Neil held her hip in steel grip, pressing his nose into her suprasternal notch and breathing her in. He craved her even more than he had in his dirty fantasies that for quite some time persistently crept with the lights off into his lonely nights, completely capturing and dominating him, until he finally found his release in the predawn silence. Between the alcohol and intoxicating smell of Claire, he barely could control himself when his fingers worked on the first button of her blouse.

Desire, like a million little needles, pricked her body when his skillfully fingers began to unfasten the buttons on her blouse, while his hot breath spread against her neck in waves. She was practically bursting with impatience, since he was still fully dressed when her coat had long been forgotten and her blouse was already half open in no time.

"Off." Claire breathed out, tugging at the lapels of his coat, trying to struggle it off his muscular torso as he leaned toward her now uncovered collarbone and upper chest - three small moles that treacherously attracted all his attention and which he planned to study closely with his lips. 

"Yes." he muttered, not wanting to break away from his important task, but nevertheless moved a little away from her to get rid of his coat along with jacket at once before she tugged him back with her fingers through his belt loops.

At the same time, Neil grabbed sides of her face and sharply pulled her to him, capturing her lips in another hungry, possessive kiss and delving quickly into her mouth. He devastated it like a thirsty man who spent his days wandering in search of water through a vast desert, as his hands went up to her hair and not so carefully pulled the hairband off her, making Claire let out a yelp into their kiss.

Thereafter she hummed contentedly as Neil pulled an elastic band from her hair next, freeing her rebellious curls to run his fingers through them. He tangled his fingers in her soft hair and her body arched into his touch as her own fingers furiously worked on the buttons of his shirt. Finally coping, she pulls her mouth away from his but he pursues her lips, leaving a peck on the bow of her bottom lip before pulling away to allow her to push his already crumbled enough shirt off from his shoulders. 

As the fabric slid from his shoulders to the pool on the floor, her hands remained on his biceps and her breathing hitched. Claire swept her tongue over her lips, taking in the view of strong shoulders, wide chest, lean, long muscles, smooth, tan skin, and finally his signature stag tattoo that she had never fully seen before. Struck with an impulse, she leaned forward, pressing her plush lips to the warm skin over the image and sliding her palms along his prominent forearms back to his strong shoulders. 

Now, gently tracing a tattoo with her fingertips, she moved her lips down to his sternum, feeling his heart beating hard and fast under her palms and lips as they glided over his chest in the direction of his toned abs. Peppering his chest with urgent kisses, she let her fingers linger along the deep lines of his abdomen, tracing the taut muscles that clenched and flexed nicely in reaction to her touch, calling to her body with the subtleness of a wildfire.

Claire's lips stopped they journey, but her hands intentionally slid further down his body to his trousers, while Neil's fingers finished work on her blouse. He had very skillful fingers, a second ago they were there on her front, and now they were already on her shoulders, pulling off the fabric of her blouse down from them. A laced bra soon followed her blouse, carelessly thrown behind his back somewhere in the emptiness of the hallway. Instantly she tugged on the belt buckle before that metal trap triumphantly clinked under her fingers, finally unfastening his trousers, her hands urgently guided down his bottoms until they were wrapped around his ankles, and then without further delay he shucked them off along with his shoes and socks.

Neil's mouth immediately watered at the sight of her milk-chocolate skin, and he could bet on his life, being absolutely sure that Claire tastes as sweet and spicy as her lips and neck elsewhere, perhaps even sweeter, heavenly better. He was literally struck by the fullness of her perfectly shaped breasts when his cock twitched and he drew her closer so that he could feel their warm pressure on his bare chest, skimming his hands over her skin, touching as much of her as he could.

Without losing close contact with his body, she kicked off her ankle boots as he was again all over her, branding her with his hungry kisses and leisurely caresses. He pressed against her, his cock resting on her still clad thigh. Claire's mind was spinning, she wanted him inside her so badly but couldn't get her voice to work. Instead, she wrapped her hand around him; he is hard, hot and heavy, in her hand. Neil gives a quick intake of breath, instinctively thrusting into her light touch. Claire bit her lip, giving him one sleek, slow teasing tug before looking up at him, hoping that everything she wanted but couldn’t say was in her eyes. 

Neil practically growled, capturing her wanton gaze and paused for a second to take her in. She is a mess - _a beautiful mess,_ he mentally corrected himself. Her unruly hair scattered over her shoulders in chaotic tangle as a result of his hands. Her lips are red and swollen, cheeks flushed, her eyes glazed over. But he could clearly see the lust clouding her green eyes, which were several shades darker than before, and he knew for sure that she felt the same way he did. There was no way he could have stopped it right now as the bourbon hit him now in full force... or was it her look that broke him in the end? It didn’t really matter as long as his heart was pounding violently in his ears and he was throbbing heavily in her light grip, and all he wanted to do was fuck her right here. 

That’s exactly what he did.

Unwilling to waste no more time on unnecessary foreplay, Neil makes quick work of her fly, shoving both her pants and panties down passed her hips. He doesn't even give her time to step out of them, easily lifting her up and yanking off the remains of her clothes in one swift motion before her arms and legs automatically wrapped around him. Claire clings to him like ivy, her ankles crossed at the small of his back as he gripped the back of her hips and positioned himself at her entrance, groaning at how wet and ready she was for him.

Claire moaned out in pleasure and her head fell on his collarbone as he painfully slowly slid inside her, the length of him filling her completely like they were made for it. She was so tight and warm around him, fitted him like a glove, and this incredible feeling threatened to finish him immediately. Neil sighed, _she's too fucking perfect,_ and tenderly kissed down her delicate shoulder before starting to move. 

She lets out a whine of pleasure into the crook of his neck when he pulls out and thrusts into her again, her back flush against the hard surface of the wall. He really likes the sounds that she makes when he thrust up into her, and oh how he longed to learn all her vocal abilities in this case. _She_ was his strongest case for sure, and he was so willing to solve her tonight. All her aspects. All her facets. And all her desires.

She pulled back from his collarbone to look at his face. His facial expression is almost as intense and concentrated as in the operating room or while working on the most difficult case in lounge, but now his pupils were dilated with desire, and his usual dark chocolate eyes turned into onyx black ones, boring into hers practically on physical level. 

The intensity of his eyes felt like extra hands on her body, she was so lost in them when her own hands wandered over his hard upper body, gently caressing and exploring him. Putting a hand on the back of his head, she leaned forward to capture his mouth in long and slow sensual kiss, and started up a rhythm with her hips to match it. 

Branding her lips as well as her entire body, he relishes the feel of her, dying to live, proving how incredible she is. She's so responsive and insatiable, her fingertips everywhere on him she can reach, light and inspiring, and that enough could’ve gotten him off. Even when they broke their kiss, they seeking lips continued to grazed each other, catching every ragged breath as her breasts temptedly brushed his chest while their bodies moved in special dance. 

Neil thanked his lucky star that Claire found him in that bar tonight because having her this way - freely running his hands over her glowing skin and guiding her body against the wall in the semi-darkness of his hallway as she breathy chanted his name, over and over again, it seemed as if his hottest dream had come to live. Wanting her to lose control even more, he brought his lips down to her chest, catching one tight nipple into his mouth and suckling softly, letting his teeth graze it slightly while pinching the other between his fingertips.

"Oh my," she gasped, arching her back and digging her nails into his scalp. 

Pushing her breasts more firmly against his roaming lips, encouraging him to process - her message came through loud and clear as his lips and fingers began to work on her more aggressively. She liked that, liked how his tongue swirled, his teeth pulled, but most of all she loved his groans that emanated from the depths of his throat with accompanying their vibrations that went right through her all the way down to her toes.

Playfully tugging her nipple with his teeth one last time before his hands tightly gripped her hips and changed they angle, Neil swiftly pulled her off the wall and tilted her up towards him as Claire groaned loudly, grabbing helplessly at his broad shoulders for a decent grip on him. Instantly adjuring to new degree, she wounded her hands around his neck, pressing her breasts flush to his his broad, strong chest, marveling at the low grunts that escaped him. Then she urges him farther inside with her heels on small of his back, stifling a moan against his shoulder when she feels his cock hit that sweet spot inside her. She feels her blood begin to sing in response, countering each of his thrusts with a roll of her hips, again, again and again, together creating a rhythm that was not at all slow and easy. 

Sweat is beginning to bead on his tan skin and she eagerly watched as it rolled over his neck and down his chest as her hard nipples kept rubbed against him, creating perfect friction. She was so turned on from contact with his flushed skin and his every sharp move that made her clutch at his back and want more. She wanted him to know what he was doing for her, how he makes her feel; so tender, sensitive, complete. She began to leave wet open mouth kisses down his throat, teeth and tongue against his skin, finally reaching her goal, sucking hard on the sensitive spot where his neck and shoulder met.

"Damn, Claire." 

Hearing the sound of her name on his lips in that way, she could felt the familiar heat build up inside her with incredible strength. Each thrust literally knocked the breath out of her lungs and she struggled to keep quiet and not scream as she wanted. Now her kisses are sloppy, her hips move irregular, the sounds that she made are pitch high. She dug her nails into his back and absently dragged them down, marking him as her body began to tremble violently in his safe strong hands, squeezing him tightly every time he plunged into her.

Neil growled feeling the scratches that were being made in his back as he picked up the pace more, watching her breast move at a different rate now. Clutching at the skin between his shoulder blades, she whimpers as his heavy thrusts become quicker and his fingers dig into her thighs in response. His hips move with force, control, purpose, slamming in and out of her, nearing her peak. He felt Claire's inner muscles begin to lock up around him, and he was not far behind her, pulsating strongly in her velvet heat - the pleasure coursing through him almost unbearable. He kissed her madly, placing moist kisses over her neck and chest, wherever his greedy lips could reach as his hand easily slipped down between they sticky and slick bodies. His fingers touched her dripping folds and began to stroke deft circles on her flesh, pushing her to rapture, sure and steady. 

Fascinated by the way her body writhe between him and the wall in a delightful sensation, Neil wildly thrusted into her, riding their pleasure out. It doesn't take long, only two more brushes over her clit with his thumb as she came with her face buried in the space between his neck and shoulder, moaning his name loudly. Digging his fingers around Claire's thigh intensively while groaning her name in her sweet sensual skin, when the tightening of her walls on him sent him over the edge, a few more deep thrusts, and he released inside her, pinning her against the wall, hard. 

They linger there for a long while, his cheek now rested against the side of her head, her face still hidden in his neck; both regain their breath, neither wanting to break contact with the other. 

Nuzzling her neck affectionately, Neil held her tight in his hands, still pressing inside of her, feeling each aftershock roll through her and smoothing each wave with his hands up and down her back. She sighed deeply into his chest, relishing in the uneven rise and fall under her still parted lips. Not finding the strength to break away from him, she completely relaxed in his arms, counting their synchronized breaths, still uneven ins and outs, one by one, while she had such an opportunity.

Even when he gently pulled out and she stirred slightly in his embrace, he still wasn't ready to let her go... _If I ever will,_ he came to terms with the bittersweet of his new reality, this time making the right decision, and only hoping his heart wouldn't be broken in the end.

So, before Claire's weak and slightly shaking legs were able to touch the floor, he scopped her hot and sweaty body back in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. 

On the way, turning the lights off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it really pretty hot in here? 😏 Sorry, but sometimes every girl needs to let out her craziness outward 😅 You know my sister a Deckerstar fan and she just went crazy before the start of the fifth season and buzzed all my ears that 'this would finally happen to them' and about how the authors delayed the release of most important scene so much that she stopped hoping that it would ever happen to them... And then I broke down. I said 'you'd better be silent, my ship literally died a virgin... Even without a single kiss' 😭 It's sad but that's the way it is. So I'm just trying to give the characters what the evil David Shore has taken away from them (and us)
> 
> Attention! 10/28/20 Guys, I love Lea! ❤️ She reveals to us the time interval between events for the second time. Bless her soul 🙏 Three weeks have passed since the earthquake. If David Shore goes to repeat the script of another story of mine, I will consider it as copyright infringement 👊👊👊 And now Audrey's words, at least to me, seem strange. Are you ready to move on? It's been three weeks! She hasn't yet fully accepted his death 😐

**Author's Note:**

> Um... In vino veritas? 😅 Well, now you know what really happens when dance diva with a medical degree gets caught up in the process of writing about the most amazing characters on TV. And yeah, I would love to be Neil's bourbon buddy or dance partner. But hey, who wouldn't? 😋 I'll publish the second chapter tomorrow at the same time. Take care of yourself and I'll be glad to hear from you! Bye!


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